Preview: Manchester City Vs Rovers

[Manchester Blue]

Well with 10 mins to go i was going to post a list of gripes and despite being delighted we didn't lose I'm still feeling more than a little bemused once again. I think every player displayed positives mixed equally with huge frustration. From Friedel to Santa Cruz we seem to be fine one minute then rubbish the next.

Friedel was awful with his kicking and nearly cost us once when he should have come for the ball, then came when he should have stayed. All the defenders displayed great spells mixed in with rubbish that only highlights why we concede so many. Hughes needs to tell Samba he isn't Beckenbauer, however Nelsen is just as bad at times. Midfield I though Reid was ok and Dunn until his final ball was great. He's clearly been watching Bentley and picked up the habit of keeping onto the ball too long.

Once again Pedersen ran his socks off but his lack of confidence is so glaring that it's embarrassing. Sadly the boo boys will only achieve one thing and that is to make him worse. Thought Bentley highlighted everything that annoys me with him. Two fantastic balls for the goals but utter rubbish from every cross in open play. He goes on great runs and then either holds the ball too long or fluffs his cross.

Thought Santa for most of the game lost the ball too easily but was obviously outstanding for the goals and I thought McCarthy showed why we are so much better with 2 up front. Not quite on the ball at times but oozes class.

Think my main gripe though is how often we play outstanding until the final ball. We pile forward in numbers and then 9 times out of 10 play the wrong final ball or deliver it badly. Oh and one final gripe is if Emerton doesn't learn to take a throw in i'll kill him. I'm sick of seeing him try and drop it for someone to try and hoof it up the pitch. It goes wrong so often and why he can't throw it properly is beyond me.

Overall i'm not concerned about us goign down like some drama queens have considered. I'm mostly annoyed as I think potentially we have a great side but we're making so many basic errors. Hughes needs to really drum into them the basics.

[Jan]

I think that was Treacy's last game out.

PLEASE GOD let hughes pick him.

[tonygreenbank]

Any Rovers fan has got to be pleased with the result tonight against a very strong City side. The first team to take a point at their place this season. The belief of the team is amazing and the number of times we take the game in the second half to the opposition shows great character. But why can we not impose ourself from the start? We are a 4-4-2 side and look threatening with 2 up front and 2 wide men. A little disappointed we didnt snatch it at the end but lets hope we beat Derby on Sunday.

[Presty On Tour]

suppose we should be chuffed to get a draw after all, they have won 9/9 in the league at home this season and with our first half display the game could have been over at half time.

don't know why everyone is using pedersen as the scape goat all the time, thought he was alright today. had a tidy range of passing, helped out new boy berner and was well unlucky to see his volley hit the defender when it looked destined for the corner of the net.

it tugay has scored at the end, if only

[Flopsy]

is Sergio crocked at the moment then?

===any time we go away from home - especially playing as poorly as we are at the moment - especially to a ground with a team as good as Citeh are at the moment - and we get a point - then all's not too bad in the world - yes we're a bit crap at the moment, but we all know it is likely to get better. People want to blame players, unfairly in my opinion Jan, but understanably, he was signed by Souness after all, but in reality its the Manager's fault and the manager's alone, not the players, what would we do if they get picked and then refused to play? Get a grip and start writing letters to Hughes and informing of his selection issues

[Mozzer]

2-2..im very happy....on first half showing we should of been down and out, but we have got a point against the best side at home in england..

still need to improve on things..but this could be where a good little run starts with derby and sunderland next..

[philipl]

Good news:

- Rovers play football a lot better than most folks posting on pages 5, 6 and 7 can write on a MB

- Santa Cruz is sensational and he won't be playing Richard Dunne again (just as tall and twice the weight)

- there's nothing wrong with Benni McCarthy apart from the team he is playing in (see below)

- there's nothing wrong with Samba; he is sheer class

- Bentley would be OK in a better team as well

Bad news:

- Hughes cost us two points; Petrov skinned us 3 times- 2 goals and a miss of the season. Even us on the MB saw that one coming so Sparky has to hang his head in shame for that one.

- that was cruelty to Zura of the highest order and basically taking advantage of a very decent guy because Sparky wimped out of taking the decision he should have taken (dropped Nelsen)

- Nelsen in fairness wasn't that bad today but he has critically lost the full extension of his legs when stretching. Last year that clearance wouldn't even have gone for a corner as it would have been row Z on the half way line, this season it was an og.

- oh what a powder puff midfield Reid and Dunn are. Reid was not good and Dunn too slow and small (yes small- how many EPL teams are now average height of over 6 ft? Getting a bit like basket ball out there). MGP didn't help.

- major coaching crisis; where has all the off the ball movement gone? At times, only Berner was making runs. Like statues when players were bringing the ball out of defence. If there is one sign of a team in trouble with its self confidence, that was it.

So that is West Ham, Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City- four good teams each ripe for the beating on the day and we've taken one point and blown a chance of a cup final.

[John]

Manchester Blue sums it up well.

It is just frustrating at the moment (the way we are playing). I think we are not far off having a really good team, which should be taking advantage of the games we have been taking part in. Problem is players cannot seem to play for longer than 30 minutes (within a match).

First half was very depressing.

However, we finished so strongly in this match. Good thing is, that in the last couple of games, it seems like there is a bit of belief coming back into the side.

[Rover Down Under]

I really think City gifted us the point today. If they had decided to show up they would have slaughtered us by half-time. There's not much to be proud of here apart from Rocky and his sensational heading. The problems are still there and still need sorting. Poor selection and persistence with Peders is killing us, we are basically a 10 man team when Peders starts at the moment. He has been too poor for too long and has to be dropped until (and if!) he regains his potential cos every game he plays like crap just drags him down more (and I actually feel sorry for him because of that!)

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Poor first half , excellent 2nd- we really dug in there. I thought we were slow out of the blocks as usual and let City run the show in an exhibition of how to give the ball away. 2nd half we ran the show most of the time, Petrov our tormentor in chief never got a kick and we ran out the stronger team, a tremendous point that stops the rot and sends us to Derby in great heart, play like the first half and we will lose , play like the second half and 3 pts are ours.

Scores

Friedel 6 Looked a bit shakey, the bad run had got to him I think.

Zurab 4 Absolute nightmare, hung out to dry by Petrov, Emerton and Reid just stood there and let it happen

Samba 6 Still our best defender, needs to cut out the meandering runs out of defence, teams let him come forward now knowing he'll lose possession.

Nelsen 5 Struggled again for me, shocking own goal, better in the second half.

Berner 5 Not a great start but got better as the game went on. some good runs in the 2nd half.

Emerton 6 We know he's not a winger, poor first half much better second half, he eventually had the pleasure of seeing Petrov change wings to get away from him.

Reid 5 Anonymous for 60 minutes got better the longer the game went on.

Dunn 6 Good performance from Dunny, stayed the distance and was always probing.

Pedersen 5 Not good tonight , he's a light weight ( but we know that don't we )

Bentley 6 Much better on the wing than in the centre tonight, he's greedy @#/? though, should have put Santa through but went for glory.

Santa Cruz 8# What can you say, two great headers ,led the line well, never gets into scrapes with the officials, Richard Dunne had a go with no success at all, a class act.

Subs Mc Carthy 7 Played like him meant it tonight, his ball skills rattled City, bringing him on lifted the whole team, when the ball went down their end it stuck for a while instead of coming straight back.

Roberts and Tugay ran down the clock when we were getting a bit silly.

[Roar of the Rover]

Lack of support from the centre of the park (Ried and Dunn) really wound me up Today, if one off them got forward alot more we would've won this game.

[1864roverite]

Think we have to be happy with the point.

First team to take one at coms

Roll on Derby with a FULL squad available

[broadsword]

Tell you what, that Santa Cruz, not a natural goalscorer at all, is he?

[Tim Southampton Rover]

7 goals in 4 games.

Rubbish statistics!

[Tim Southampton Rover]

On a serious note, i've just eaten a Turkey, Lettuce and Curry Ketchup sandwich. We've never lost when I've eaten one before.

Come on Rovers!

Feel free to thank me as well as Roque.

[waynerovers]

everyone on this board really suprises me sometimes, it was only two months ago that evryone thought that pretty much everyone in the team were top four team material and now after a bad run of form, part and parcel of football, it does happen, the players are suddenly not worthy of wearing the shirt. The players in the team are good enough, they are better than the results we are getting but it doesn't help everyone on this board sla**ing off any player that has a bad game, you should get behind the team, constant criticism does not breed confidence. It is a blip, the team is good enough

[philipl]

7 goals in 4 games.

Rubbish statistics!

I remember reading early in the season that Roque could only head the ball back where it had come from, thankfully that has been put to rest tonight as well.

Its OK eddie, you can come out of hiding and tell us that Dunn and Reid are the worst central midfield partnership in the Premiership- please.

PS is there something wrong with the MB hosting at the moment?

[Alan75]

PS is there something wrong with the MB hosting at the moment?

So I'm not the only one having problems

[Uddersfelt Blue]

Had a spread bet on Santa goal minutes which paid £180 thank you very much

[Tim Southampton Rover]

Drinks are on you then!

[Uddersfelt Blue]

Drinks are on you then!

Yeh you're welcome to join me in a beer or two

On top of his goals against Arsenal its been a nice profitable Xmas

[des]

well in the first half MH got it all wrong. Zurab had a great game sunday at center half, he is a verygood center half, but is never a full back, and tonight game showed it, not his fault that he was asked to play there. However it did us two goals.

Bently is never a forward playing in the gap or not he is a wide midfield player and should play wide midfield.

In the first half we had one forward and cruz is a very good player, but he needs someone to play along side him.

Cue second half changes were made that changed the outlook and the play of the team, however this leads to one question.

Why did it take half time to change it, a blind man on a run away horse could see after 15 min when they missed an open goal ( how he missed I will never know) want was going to happen.

MH one big weakness is, if he gets it wrong and we all do, change it before to much damage is done

do not want till half time.

we also lack of bit of pace all over the park, Dunn has the skill to beat poeple but lack the pace to go by them or to get back to defend. peds As i call him, does not have the skill to beat people or the pace to get past them, sad to say but he is the one I would sell.

Ried play ok, as power and pace, but lacks a bit of skill for play maker in center midfield.

All in All a point is ok, the team is about a top 10-7 team.

MH states that he does not need to buy in jan, who is kidding whom, he needs to change things around a bit and some players mean well have to go. Time will tell if this happens or if we are just happy as a top ten team ( which to be fair is not bad)

[Plastic Head]

Another shocking first half display and only a bit better in the second.

This game just shows what a dreadful league the Premiership is.

As regards our second goal, surely in order for someone to be offside the ball has to be passed forward???

[LeChuck]

This game just shows what a dreadful league the Premiership is.

I don't understand that, there were some cracking games on Boxing Day.

[Plastic Head]

I don't understand that, there were some cracking games on Boxing Day.

Not talking about the number of goals, number of "incidents" etc but the quality of the play.

These were 2 teams in the top half of the division and the first haalf was drivel from both of em.